Podcast Summary: Cover 3 College Football

Episode: CFP First-Round Burning Questions: Alabama-Oklahoma, Miami-Texas A&M, Tulane-Ole Miss & JMU-Oregon
Date: December 16, 2025
Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli
Focus: Burning questions for each College Football Playoff (CFP) first-round matchup, analyzing team health, strategy, key players, and broader college football topics.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the opening round of the expanded College Football Playoff, featuring four matchups—Alabama vs. Oklahoma, Miami vs. Texas A&M, Tulane vs. Ole Miss, and James Madison vs. Oregon. The hosts explore each contest's "burning questions": critical factors, injury impacts, pivotal matchups, and broader narratives, while keeping the lively, insider tone Cover 3 is known for.

Alabama at Oklahoma (Friday Night)

Alabama’s Burning Questions

• Is Alabama's offense broken?

  • Tom Fornelli (02:25) points out Alabama's recent offensive struggles, noting, "In Alabama's last five games against FBS opponents, their offense is averaging only 1.7 points per possession. And we've talked all year ... about how bad Oklahoma's offense has been ... Alabama's offense has been as productive as Oklahoma's for over a month now."

• Injuries and Health:

  • Chip Patterson (04:57) emphasizes the growing injury list: "How healthy is this Alabama team? ... We are really starting to see the injuries pile up ... even on the defensive side of the ball. This depth is really going to be tested."
  • Key absences include Jam Miller and Josh Cuevas (status trending positive), but LT Overton doubtful; possible undisclosed Ty Simpson injury.

• Alabama’s Lack of Offensive Counterpunch:

  • Tom (04:14): “Alabama really doesn't have a counter punch and hasn't showed us an effective one.”
  • Emphasis on run game struggles and defenses shutting down the pass.

Oklahoma’s Burning Questions

• Can Oklahoma’s offense move the ball—without turnovers?

  • Tom (08:22): "How do they find ways to move the ball against this Alabama defense? ... They did win the first meeting, 23 to 21, but they needed the help of three Alabama turnovers ..."
  • The run game and downfield passing have been inconsistent; turnovers pivotal in first meeting.

• John Mateer's Playmaking & Adjustments:

  • Chip (09:31) expects more from Oklahoma’s transfer QB: "Whatever you've got from Ben Arbuckle ... what can he do to know what John Mateer does well, to know what Alabama did to defend you the first time? ... What are your wrinkles?"
  • Tom (11:26) theorizes, "Now you're in a situation where you win or your season’s over. So are they as cautious with John Mateer, or do we see him used as a running back or as the running game far more often?"

Notable Quotes

• "Is Alabama’s offense broken?” – Tom, 02:25
• "I think the difference is ... the transfer portal and NIL has really kind of thinned out a lot of these rosters ... I don't think [Alabama] have the kind of squad that can sustain even more of an availability issue." – Tom, 06:14
• "If you've got a quarterback that can run when your season is on the line against an elite opponent...we got ice baths for a reason." – Chip, 12:23

Miami at Texas A&M (Saturday Early)

Miami’s Burning Questions

• Impact of C.J. Daniels’ Return:

  • Tom (14:16): "With the extra time to prepare for this game against Texas A&M, will [Daniels] see a bigger role? ... A secondary option in the passing attack ... is very important for Miami."

• Can Reuben Bain Be the Best Player on the Field?

  • Chip (15:49): "Can Reuben Bain be the best player on the field? ... He is finally having a season that ... is representative of that high projection ... forecasted to be one of the top edge rushers [in the NFL draft]."
  • Miami's defensive front and Bain’s potential to overwhelm A&M’s offensive line could decide the game.

Texas A&M’s Burning Questions

• How Will the Offensive Line Handle Miami’s Front?

  • Tom (19:24): “If you look at the way their schedule broke down this year, they haven't really faced a whole lot of defensive lines as good and as strong as what they're going to face with Miami.”
  • Offensive line’s play is vital for Marcel Reed and skill positions; last game (vs. Texas) exposed vulnerabilities.

• Can A&M’s Defense Pressure Carson Beck?

  • Chip (21:15): "Can you pressure Carson Beck into mistakes? ... Texas A&M brought in an edge rusher from Bowling Green and he ended up being one of the biggest defensive stars of the season in the SEC ... Texas A&M was very good in [third and long] spots all throughout the season."

Notable Quotes

• "I think this one has the biggest chance of being like the classic game that everybody's tuning into and remembering." – Tom, 21:15
• "We've got two awesome offensive lines, we've got two great defensive fronts, we've got two turnover-prone quarterbacks ... I am not going to believe the game is done here until we're at triple zeros." – Chip, 21:15

Tulane at Ole Miss (Saturday Afternoon)

Tulane’s Burning Questions

• Can Tulane Make Stops?

  • Tom (24:35): “How many stops can we realistically expect the Tulane defense to get? ... Ole Miss had 11 possessions [in the first matchup]—they scored on eight of them.”
  • Defensive struggles chronic for Tulane, especially in high-level games.

• Improved Quarterback Play Needed:

  • Chip (26:07): Focus on Jake Retzlaff, now more familiar with Tulane's offense: "I am going to believe that he is going to be better in this second go-round ... it’s really hard not to be better.”

Ole Miss’s Burning Questions

• Will Play Calling Suffer Without Lane Kiffin?

  • Tom (28:23): “How much impact did Lane Kiffin have on play calling on game days? ... Without Kiffin, how much of an impact does that have on this Ole Miss offense?"

• Is Pete Golding Ready for the Spotlight?

  • Chip (29:37): "Is Pete Golding ready for his first impression? ... If Ole Miss looks awesome, ... that's our guy ... if it’s closer than expected or heaven forbid they lose, that is not a good first impression for the start of the Pete Golding era."

• Fourth-Down Aggressiveness in Question:

  • Chip (29:37): “We have no idea ... what to expect. We don’t have a book on Pete Golding as a fourth down play caller ... that's going to be a defensive coordinator making a kick or ... go for it ... calls."

Notable Quotes

• "We don't have a book on Pete Golding as a fourth down play caller ... we’re going to want all of ... that if it's going to lead to more double digit wins..." – Chip, 29:37
• "Sometimes [defensive head coaches] get caught up in the idea of just thinking you can win a game two to nothing." – Tom, 32:29

James Madison at Oregon (Saturday Night)

Oregon’s Burning Questions

• Will Oregon Try to Shorten the Game and Rest Key Players?

  • Tom (34:47): “Will Oregon look to shorten this game? ... It's the largest spread that we have ever seen in a college football playoff game ... their injury report, they've been really banged up to finish the year.”
  • The focus is on whether Oregon will try to "empty the clip" or lean on depth due to injuries.

• Key Injuries and Returnees:

  • Chip (36:18): "What does the injury report look like? ... Who are you bringing back? How healthy are they?"

James Madison’s Burning Questions

• Is the Outcry Over JMU's Inclusion Justified?

  • Tom (37:30): "Is it fair that James Madison’s inclusion in the College Football Playoff has led to some kind of strange existential crisis with our college football media brethren?"
  • JMU’s place in the CFP sparks debate—should conference champs from outside the power leagues get chances? What’s the purpose of expanding, if not for these stories?

• Can JMU Run the Ball?

  • Chip (40:55): "Can the Dukes run the ball against Oregon’s defensive front? Probably not, but ... it's a burning question that we're wondering."

Notable Quotes

• "We can't let James Madison go on the road to play Oregon. They might get blown out. As if. We haven't seen blowouts in every year of [the Playoff's] existence." – Tom, 37:30
• "Don't treat it like a country club. Don't make an initiation fee..." – Chip, 39:07

Broader College Football Playoff Narratives

The New Playoff Format

• Hosts lament reactions to G5 teams entering the CFP, pointing out the inconsistency in demanding expansion but then disliking the results.
• Solution: Emphasize deserving teams ("teams that have won on the field") over arbitrary financial or TV metrics.

CFP Most Outstanding Player Predictions (43:00)

• Tom: Bo Jackson, Ohio State RB – "If the Buckeyes do end up taking it home, Jackson will have been a star ... he will be the next ... big name college football player because of it." (43:01)
• Chip: Julian Sayin, Ohio State QB – "I also think that Julian Saiyan is about to have a big bounce back. So throw me on the record for Julian Sayin as the top performer in this College Football Playoff." (43:37)

Memorable Moments & Key Timestamps

• Alabama’s offensive woes and injury discussion: 02:25–07:45
• Oklahoma’s offensive identity and Mateer’s adjustment: 08:22–12:23
• Miami’s injury impact and Bain’s game-changing potential: 14:16–18:12
• A&M’s offensive line vs. Hurricanes’ front; Beck’s turnovers: 19:24–21:15
• Tulane’s defensive struggles; QB improvement needs: 24:35–26:07
• Impact of Lane Kiffin’s absence for Ole Miss: 28:23–32:29
• Oregon’s injury situation and playoff management: 34:47–36:18
• Meta-discussion on JMU's inclusion and CFP expansion: 37:30–40:55
• Hosts’ Most Outstanding Player picks: 43:01–43:37

In the Words of the Hosts

"If you're going to call it a national championship ..., then don't treat it like a country club ..."
— Chip Patterson, 39:07

"We spent the last few years telling you that we need to expand the playoff to give more teams a chance. But dang it, now that we're seeing the teams that are getting a chance, we're ... We can't let these guys into the field."
— Tom Fornelli, 37:30

Conclusion

The hosts provide an energizing, thoughtful look at the matchups, balancing tactical breakdowns with big-picture themes. This episode is essential listening for fans prepping for the CFP first-round, but also for anyone interested in the changing dynamics of college football’s postseason.